Minimum Wage for Hong Kong, Good or Bad?
香港启用最低工资标准是好是坏？
Hong Kong is about to enact its first minimum wage, which will likely be around 28 Hong Kong dollars, or US$3.61, per hour.
香港即将制定首个最低工资标准，有可能为每小时28 港元左右，也就是约3.61 美元。
Legislation to enact a minimum wage was passed in July and is part of the government’s efforts to address Hong Kong’s worsening wealth gap.
香港政府7月份通过最低工资法案，这是政府为解决香港日益严重的贫富不均现象所采取的一个措施。
But opinion is divided on whether setting a wage floor will help or harm workers as well as the overall economy.
制定最低工资标准究竟会对工人及整体经济产生何种影响，各界人士对此意见不一。
Professor Francis Lui, who teaches economics at the Hong Kong University of Science & Technology, and Lee Cheuk-yan, general secretary of the Hong Kong Confederation of Trade Unions, face off on the issue.
香港科技大学经济学教授雷鼎鸣及香港工会联盟秘书长李卓人就此展开了辩论。
“Having a minimum wage simply means there is a transfer of income from people at the bottom of the wage scale to people who are slightly above them.
经济学教授雷鼎鸣说，“制定最低工资标准只能将最底层人群的工资水平稍稍上涨一点。
Only if Hong Kong’s total economic output increases and social mobility improves can more people share the pie.
只有香港经济总量提高，社会流动性有所改善，才能使更多的人分享财富。
Unless Hong Kong can manage the huge flows of low-cost and low-skilled workers coming across the border each day, there will continuously be a segment of the population which lives in poverty.” Professor Francis Lui, Hong Kong University of Science Technology, said.
除非香港能够管理每天流入境内的大量低成本和低技能工人，否则总会有那么一部分人生活在贫困中。”
But Lee Cheuk-yan disagreed with him. He said“Once minimum wage is implemented, there will be an immediate knock-on effect when people’s take-home pay goes up.
但是李卓人并不同意他的观点，“一旦实施最低工资标准，人们的税后实得工资就会增加，这会立即带来一系列的连锁效应。
Plus, the business decision to lay off workers isn’t only due to minimum wage. It was already triggered by high rents-it’s the root of all evil.”
另外，公司做出裁员决定并非仅仅因为最低工资标准，实际上高租金已经导致了裁员，这才是根本原因。”